From First Spark to Final Image
Sometimes it begins with a clear concept. For Tectonic Tortoise, it started with the phrase “If you don’t go to the mountain, the mountain comes to you.” Other images begin much more simply, with a texture, a shape or something noticed in nature.
- Cheetah Hill, for example, grew from the resemblance between a plant texture and the fur of a cheetah.
From there, the process is mostly about making the idea work visually. Elements are combined, proportions change, textures are refined and the composition develops through a series of small decisions.
The image in my head is often clear at the start, but getting there can take time. Some changes are obvious. Others only become clear after stepping away from the work and looking at it again.
That is part of the process I enjoy most. An image can change considerably along the way, while still staying true to the original idea.
Eventually there is a point where everything starts to connect: the composition, lighting, scale and details. The image feels right.
That moment is usually the best indication that the work is finished.